A video information producing device for producing a moving image by the computer graphics (CG) technology finds wide applications in the movie industry and the commercial message sector. Especially in the movie industry, the time has already come when the CG technology is indispensable for the most advanced movies in which animals created by the CG technology play a principal role and men grow into robots.
Technological elements of the CG include the creation of a three-dimensional object (called modeling), taking a picture of a three-dimensional object by radiating light on a particular object (called rendering) and the creation of a moving image (called animation).
Modeling includes detailed techniques such as texture mapping for dressing a three-dimensional object and furring for attaching fur of an animal.
The modeling work is to observe a three-dimensional object being rendered and correct any nonconforming points. For an animal in motion, a skeleton is determined and an image is produced with fixed joints and movable bones moved little by little. The resulting image is stored to produce a screen for objective movement. In order to change complicated movements into natural ones, a measuring instrument for measuring the position of the joints is worn by a man in motion thereby to obtain the data on the movement of the joints (motion capture step).
In the case of a comic, parts concerning the moving image information are prepared by the input work. It is a feature of CG that even a world not actually existent can be expressed.
The foregoing is an outline of the CG technologies explained in such a reference as “Fundamental Knowledge of Computer Graphics”, by Atsushi Shiokawa, published by Ohm. The CG technologies thus have already found practical applications.
Parts for making up a moving image consist of movable parts and immovable background parts. In the conventional CG technology for producing a moving image, both the movable parts and the background parts are prepared manually by operators as three-dimensional image information using the computer. This job requires a high-speed computer and a great amount of labor in view of the need of producing moving images one by one.
Also, with regard to real objects such as actual men, animals, trees, houses, mountains, rivers and commodities, the CG technology is still in its infant stage as the three-dimensional image information thereof are still handled as a moving part or a background part. In other words, the technologies for handling real objects as freely movable parts have yet to be completed.
Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a video information producing device which can be used with a low-speed image information production device such as an inexpensive personal computer to produce CG moving images and especially to handle the three-dimensional image information on real objects as a moving part or a background part, thereby making it possible to develop the CG technologies further while at the same time reducing the cost of program production.